Sorry

I (Rebecca) am so sorry we haven't blogged. The last few days have been tiring and full. However, I will try to post some more pictures today to make up for it. :)

So, English camp has come and gone. We had around 45 kids, give or take, and lots of leaders. Most of the children at the English camp were from the International School. Also, most of the Brazilian helpers were teachers or workers at the International School. So, they all knew each other. The first day was a little frustrating. There was a cultural gap in expectations and what actually happened. This was really to be expected, though, so after some praying, debriefing with my Mom and wonderful husband, I bounced back. One of the things that was difficult was most of the instructions were given in Portuguese. This was hard because, obviously, I don't speak Portuguese. The great thing is I learned a LOT of Portguese this week. :) I am learning how to say things and I can understand a lot. My background in Spanish is a big plus in this.

Another thing we Americans had to adjust to is how competitive the Brazilians are. Now, I thought I was competitive. However, compared to the Brazilians, I am mild. :) The teachers were the most intense. They would strategize and coach from the sidelines, like they were soccer coaches or something. I got a little flavor of what it must be like when they cheer for their soccer teams around here. Passionate is definitely a word you can use to describe the Brazilians.

The structure of the English camp consisted of two teams, competing in games and participating in workshops. There was a bible story everyday. Then, in the afternoon, I played "Jeopardy" with the kids in order to help review the story. This also helped them practice English because I required the answers to be in English only. The children also learned how to play recorders, sing songs in English, and did crafts. The facility that houses the International School along with our rooms is spacious with lots of yard space. This really helped facilitate the camp well.

The two teams were called the foxes and the pirates. On day 1 the teams had to come up with a chant, a song, two captains, a banner, and a color. My team was the pirates. Dave and another pastor were the judges for the best song, chant, and banner. It was fun to participate but the noise was deafening. I think my ears were ringing for the rest of the day! :)

We also had two game times that varied between an hour and 2 hours for games. This is a LONG time for games. Really, the whole day was intense and exhausting. The kids started showing up around 7:45 and didn't leave until after 4. Whew...

Anyway, the games...This was interesting. Brazil is a country where relationships are really important and winning is almost the most important as well. So, explaining games meant that there were long discussions about rules, questions, more discussions, and then you start playing. Then, during the play, they would stop and discuss more. For the Americans it was a little frustrating at first. Then, I decided to just realize it was part of the culture and I grew more tolerant. The hard part is, we didn't really know what they were talking about because the long discussions were always in really fast Portuguese...usually more than one talking at a time. However, once they started, the games were pretty fun and provided lots of neat pictures.

All during the camp the children were competing for points. They would win spirit points, points for winning, points for everything. On the last day (today) the points were all added up and a winner was announced. I was very excited - not as excited as the Brazilians, though - that the pirates won! Another part of the end of the day was the announcement of the best captian, the best camper, and the best teacher for boys and girls. I was honored that the children chose me as the best female teacher for the camp. When they called my name every camper started chanting "Ha-be-ca, Ha-be-ca!" They said Habeca because in Portuguese, they pronouce R's as an h sound. I was close to tears in honor. It was very humbling. All in all, it was great experience. I learned a lot and worked really hard. My brain is full of Portuguese phrases and my heart is full of the desire to learn more!